Jacob
Zuma resignation is good for political stability in
South Africa

JOHANNESBURG South Africa (Xinhua)
-- The resignation of Jacob Zuma as President of South Africa on
late Wednesday is good for political stability and consequently
economic development in the country, an local expert said.

In an interview with Xinhua late Wednesday night, Ricky
Mukanyaradzi Mukonza, Senior Lecturer at Tshwane University of
Technology (TUT) Public Management, said the African National
Congress (ANC) is the governing party and stability in the party
gives a picture certainty in both the political and economic
environment.

Zuma’s continued stay as President of the South Africa hurts
the country because his tenure has been perceived to be littered
with allegations of corruption and other forms of mal-governance
and this does not create an environment to attract investors, he
added.

Zuma faces an uncertain future considering that he is likely
to be taken to court on various cases that are hanging over his
head, the expert added.

The new president is expected to rebuild the image of the
South African government, especially on issues relating to
corruption, said Mukonza.

Zuma resigned Wednesday evening as president under the
pressure of the ruling party ANC.

"The ANC should never be divided in my name.

"I have therefore come to the decision to resign," Zuma said
on Wednesday evening at Union Building in a 30-minute farewell
address to the nation..

EARLIER REPORTS:

South African President Jacob Zuma resigns amid pressure

JOHANNESBURG South Africa (Xinhua) --
South African President
Jacob Zuma resigned Wednesday evening under the pressure of the
ruling party African National Congress (ANC).

Despite an earlier show of defiance, Zuma announced his
resignation to the nation just an hour before the deadline set
for him by the ANC, in an effort to avoid dividing the party.

"The ANC should never be divided in my name.

"I have therefore come to the decision to resign," Zuma said
on Wednesday evening at Union Building in a 30-minute farewell
address to the nation.

"No life should be lost in my name and also the ANC should
never be divided in my name.

"I have therefore come to the decision to resign as president
of the republic with immediate effect even though I disagree
with the decision of the leadership of my organisation; I have
always been a disciplined member of the ANC," he said.

He said he wished to be removed in line with the
constitution.

"I must accept that if my party and my compatriots wish that
I be removed from office, they must exercise that right and do
so in the matter prescribed in the manner of the Constitution,"
he said.

"I fear no motion of no confidence or impeachment, for they
are the lawful mechanisms for the people of this beautiful
country to remove their president," Zuma said.

Zuma apologised to the nation for the errors committed during
his term in office.

Speaking in Zulu in his address, he said he believed he had
performed the task given to him by the country, but where he had
erred, "may I please be forgiven."

He said he would continue to serve the party and the country
even after he resigned as the top leader.

"As I leave, I will continue to serve the people of South
Africa as well as the organisation I have served all my life.

"I will dedicate all my energy to work towards the attainment
of the policies of our organisations, in particular the radical
economic transformation agenda," he added.

Zuma’s resignation ended two weeks of upheaval in the ruling
party in which he had refused to step down after being asked to
do so by the ANC’s leadership.

The ANC, which replaced Zuma as party leader in December with
Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa, ordered him to step down as
president on Tuesday over curruption allegations against Zuma.

Ramaphosa is now acting president, and he will be sworn in as
president either Thursday or Friday..

South Africa President Zuma, in TV interview, says disagrees
to resign

JOHANNESBURG South Africa (Xinhua) --South African President
Jacob Zuma, in an exclusive interview with South African
Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) on Wednesday, said he disagreed
with the ruling party decision for him to resign.

Zuma broke his silence when pressure to resign mounts on him
as he spoke to the SABC from Union Building in Pretoria.

He said the effort to remove him by the African National
Congress, the ruling party, was "unfair", and demanded reasons
why he must resign and maintained he did nothing wrong.

"It was very unfair to me that this issue is raised ...

"Nobody has ever provided the reasons.

"Nobody is saying what I have done," he said in the
interview.

"I indicated to the top six (ANC leaders) that what they have
raised is not the first time.

"They have raised it in the NEC (National Executive
Committee) itself twice and nobody has ever been able to tell me
what the issue is.

"The NEC themselves said that I must resign, and I find that
very strange that I should do so because this is not the first
time that they’ve said this," Zuma said.

"It’s not a new matter, I need to be furnished with what is
it that I have done and unfortunately nobody has been able to
tell me what is it that I’ve done.

"There are processes in the ANC that need to be followed if I
have been doing something wrong," he said.

Zuma believes he was being victimized by the ANC.

"I am being victimized here," Zuma said after he went into
details as to what the discussions were between him, Ramaphosa
and the ANC leadership.

Zuma said it was the first time he felt the leadership of the
ANC was unfair.

Zuma told the broadcaster that he met the top six but they
had not told him what he had done wrong.

While expressing his disagreement to resign, Zuma says he is
not defying the decision by the leadership of the ruling party.

Zuma said that he is going to make a statement later
Wednesday on the matter.

The South Africa Parliament will on Thursday discuss a vote
of no confidence against President Jacob Zuma.

This was confirmed by the speaker of Parliament on Wednesday
in a statement..

Vote of no confidence against South African president to be
held Thursday

JOHANNESBURG South Africa (Xinhua) --The South Africa
Parliament will on Thursday discuss a vote of no confidence
against President Jacob Zuma.

This was confirmed by the speaker of Parliament on Wednesday
in a statement.

The motion had originally been scheduled for February 22.

The speaker of parliament said that she has written to the
leader of the EFF Julius Malema informing him of the change of
dates.

The no confidence vote will be on Thursday at 1400 hours.

Zuma was recalled by the ruling party, African National
Congress on Tuesday.

The ANC stated that they cannot allow Zuma to continue ruling
the country for the next 3-6 months which he had requested.

In a televised interview Wednesday, Zuma said he is being
victimized and recalled without being given some reason why that
has to happen.

As for the EFF’s request for the vote on the motion to be
conducted by means of secret ballot, Mbete has determined that
voting would be by open ballot.

Section 57 of the Constitution, 1996, directs the National
Assembly to conduct its business, among others, with due regard
to representative and participatory democracy, accountability
and transparency.

Mbete said in her letter that she believed that this decision
strengthens Parliament’s efficiency in its oversight of the
Executive.

The ruling party had defended Zuma on several occasions on
the no confidence vote.

It is expected that this time they will
vote with the opposition to remove Jacob Zuma. The ruling party
gave Zuma until Wednesday to respond to the recall.

On Wednesday the party said they are still waiting for his
response.

In a statement, ANC spokesperson, Pule Mabe said they have
noted Zuma’s interview with the South African Broadcasting
Corporation.

Mabe said, "President Zuma has affirmed that he has not
defied the ANC however does not agree with the decision.

In
addition, the President Zuma committed to deliver a statement in
response to this decision later today (Wednesday).

The African National Congress will await delivery of this
response by President Zuma."

Also on Wednesday, ANC Treasurer-General Paul Mashatile said
after an ANC caucus meeting in Parliament that the party’s MPs
would support the EFF’s motion of no confidence against Zuma..